Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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POWER GENERATION PLANT II.TEGRATING CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER
RECEIVER AND PRESSURIZED HEAT EXCHANGER
[0001] The United States Government may have certain rights to this
invention
pursuant to contract number DE-AC36-08G028308 between the United States
Department of Energy and Alliance For Sustainable Energy, LLC. This invention
was
developed under subcontract ZGJ-3-23315-01 between Alliance For Sustainable
Energy, LLC. and Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc. under contract
number DE-AC36-08G028308.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The following pertains to the power generation arts, concentrated
solar
power generation arts, pressurized heat exchanger arts, and related arts.
[0003] One known power generation technology is concentrated solar power
(CSP), which in a design includes a field of heliostats concentrating solar
power onto a
(typically tower-mounted) solar receiver. Granular solid particles flow
through the solar
receiver, and absorb energy from the concentrated light and are thus heated.
The hot
flowing particles are fed into a fluidized-bed boiler to generate working
fluid at elevated
pressure for driving an electrical generator turbine. Some such solar
concentrators are
described, by way of non-limiting illustrative example, in Ma, U.S. Pub. No.
2013/0257056 Al published October 3, 2013 which is incorporated herein by
reference
in its entirety, and in Ma et al., U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0255667 Al published
October 3,
2013 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and in
Maryamchik et al.,
"Concentrated Solar Power Solids-Based System", U.S. Serial No. 14/250,160
filed
April 10, 2014 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0004] In some aspects disclosed herein, a power plant comprises a solar
receiver configured to heat solid particles, a standpipe extending downward
from the
solar receiver to receive solid particles from the solar receiver, the
standpipe having a
height sufficient to support a column of heated solid particles of height H, a
pressurized
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heat exchanger configured to operate at an elevated pressure higher than
atmospheric
pressure to heat working fluid flowing through the pressurized heat exchanger
by heat
transfer from heated solid particles flowing out of the bottom of the
standpipe, and a
flow path for solid particles from the bottom of the standpipe into the
pressurized heat
exchanger that is configured to be sealed by a pressure P produced at the
bottom of the
standpipe by a column of heated solid particles of the height H. The
pressurized heat
exchanger may comprise a pressurized fluidized bed heat exchanger. The flow
path
may include a silo or surge tank comprising a pressure vessel connected to the
bottom
of the standpipe. The flow path may include a non-mechanical valve having no
moving
parts and operating by agitation of solid particles in the valve by flow of
working fluid.
The power plant may further include a turbine operatively connected with the
pressurized heat exchanger to be driven by heated working fluid discharged
from the
pressurized heat exchanger, and a compressor driven by the turbine to drive
working
fluid through the pressurized heat exchanger to define a thermodynamic cycle
driven at
least in part by concentrated solar power (CSP) comprising thermal energy
deposited in
the solid particles heated by the solar receiver. In some embodiments the
compressor
driven by the turbine to drive working fluid through the pressurized heat
exchanger
defines a Brayton cycle driven at least in part by CSP comprising thermal
energy
deposited in the solid particles heated by the solar receiver. In some
embodiments the
pressure P produced at the bottcm of the standpipe by a column of heated solid
particles of the height H is at least 5 atm.
[0005] In
some aspects disclosed herein, a method comprises: heating solid
particles in a solar receiver; forming heated solid particles discharged by
the solar
receiver into a stack of height H by gravity feed from the solar receiver;
transferring solid
particles from the bottom of the stack of height H into a pressurized heat
exchanger
wherein the transferring includes sealing against the gas pressure in the
pressurized
heat exchanger by pressure produced by the weight of the stack of height H;
and, in the
pressurized heat exchanger, transferring heat from the solid particles to a
working fluid
at an elevated pressure of at least 5 atm. The method may further comprise
driving a
turbine using the working fluid heated by the transfer of heat from the solid
particles in
the pressurized heat exchanger, and circulating the working fluid through the
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pressurized heat exchanger using a compressor driven by the turbine whereby a
thermodynamic cycle is defined that is driven by the heating of solid
particles in the
solar receiver. The working fluid heated by the transfer of heat from the
solid particles in
the pressurized heat exchanger may be further heated by a combustion process,
which
further drives the thermodynamic cycle.
[0006] In further aspects disclosed herein, a concentrated solar power
solids-
based system comprises: a solar receiver configured to heat a granulated solid
medium
comprising granulated solid particles; a pressurized heated solids storage
configured to
store the granulated solid medium after heating by the solar receiver; a
pressurized heat
exchanger configured to transfer heat from the granulated solid medium to a
gaseous
medium; a flow path connected to feed the granulated solid medium heated by
the solar
receiver to the pressurized heat exchanger; a compressor connected to supply
the
gaseous medium to the pressurized heat exchanger; a conveyor configured to
transport
the granulated solid medium after heat transfer to the gaseous medium in the
pressurized heat exchanger from the pressurized heat exchanger to the solar
receiver;
a gas turbine operatively connected to be driven by the gaseous medium heated
in the
pressurized heat exchanger; and a standpipe disposed in the path of the
granulated
solid medium from the solar receiver to the pressurized heated solids storage.
The
standpipe has a height sufficient to hold a stack of granulated solid medium
of height H
that is sufficient to provide a seal against the pressure in the heated solids
storage. In
some embodiments the bottom eft of the standpipe is at least partially
surrounded by
the pressurized heated solids storage, and at least one fluidizing nozzle is
located in the
pressurized heated solids storage. In some embodiments the pressurized heat
exchanger comprises a stack of trays, each tray supporting a bed of solids,
the trays
connected to allow the granulated solid medium to flow downward through the
trays and
the gaseous medium to flow upward through the trays.
[0007] These and other non-limiting aspects and/or objects of the
disclosure are
more particularly described below.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The invention may take form in various components and arrangements
of
components, and in various prscess operations and arrangements of process
operations. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred
embodiments
and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. This disclosure
includes the
following drawings.
[0009] FIGURES 1-3 diagrammatically show illustrative power generation
plant
embodiments.
[0010] FIGURES 4-7 diagrammatically show pressurized fluidized heat
exchanger beds suitably used in the power generation plants of FIGURES 1-3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] A more complete understanding of the processes and apparatuses
disclosed herein can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings.
These
figures are merely schematic representations based on convenience and the ease
of
demonstrating the existing art and/or the present development, and are,
therefore, not
intended to indicate relative size and dimensions of the assemblies or
components
thereof.
[0012] Although specific terms are used in the following description for
the sake
of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure
of the
embodiments selected for illustration in the drawings, and are not intended to
define or
limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings and the following
description below, it
is to be understood that like numeric designations refer to components of like
function.
[0013] The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents
unless the
context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0014] A value modified by a term or terms, such as "about" and
"substantially,"
may not be limited to the precise value specified.
[0015] It should be noted that many of the terms used herein are relative
terms.
For example, the terms "interior", "exterior", "inward", and "outward" are
relative to a
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center, and should not be construed as requiring a particular orientation or
location of
the structure.
[0016] The terms "horizontal" and "vertical" are used to indicate
direction relative
to an absolute reference, i.e. ground level. However, these terms should not
be
construed to require structures to be absolutely parallel or absolutely
perpendicular to
each other. For example, a first vertical structure and a second vertical
structure are
not necessarily parallel to each other.
[0017] The term "plane" is used herein to refer generally to a common
level, and
should be construed as referring to a volume, not as a flat surface.
[0018] To the extent that explanations of certain terminology or
principles of the
solar receiver, boiler and/or steam generator arts may be necessary to
understand the
present disclosure, the reader is referred to Steam/its generation and use,
40th Edition,
Stultz and Kitto, Eds., Copyright 1992, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and to
Steam/its generation and use, 41st Edition, Kitto and Stultz, Eds., Copyright
2005, The
Babcock & Wilcox Company, the texts of which are hereby incorporated by
reference as
though fully set forth herein.
[0019] With reference to FIGURE 1, a power plant combines a concentrated
solar
power (CSP) system with a pressurized fluidized bed heat exchanger and an
optional
additional combustor to generate compressed air (or other working fluid at
elevated
pressure such as steam) for driving a gas turbine. A solar receiver 1 receives
thermal
flux from a heliostat field (not shown) surrounding the solar receiver 1. To
provide a
direct line-of-sight with the heliostats, the solar receiver 1 may be
supported at an
elevated position, for example on a tower 16 which may, for example, be at
hundreds of
feet in elevation, although greater or lesser elevations are contemplated. The
thermal
flux from the heliostat field heats up solid particles in the solar receiver
1. The solar
receiver is designed to heat solid particles to a desired hot temperature, for
example
contemplated in some embodiments to be on the order of 800 C or greater. Some
suitable solar receiver designs are disclosed, by way of illustrative example,
in Ma, U.S.
Pub. No. 2013/0257056 Al published October 3, 2013 which is incorporated
herein by
reference in its entirety, and in Ma et al., U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0255667 Al
published
October 3, 2013 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and
in
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Maryamchik et al., "Concentrated Solar Power Solids-Based System", U.S. Serial
No.
14/250,160 filed April 10, 2014 which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety.
In one suitable embodiment (shown in FIGURE 1 inset), the solar receiver 1
comprises
an annular volume VA through which granular solid particles flow downward,
which
further includes light-channeling tubes TL (shown in the inset by partial
cutaway of the
annular volume VA) having apertures TA at the outer surface of the annular
volume to
receive light from the heliostat field and extending into the annular volume
VA so that
the downward flowing granular solid particles pass over the light-channeling
tubes to
absorb solar thermal energy. After passing downward through the solar receiver
1, the
heated particles are collected in a solids collector 2. FIGURE 1
diagrammatically shows
this collector 2; in some embodiments the collector 2 is an annular element so
as to
collect particles from the entire circumference of the annular solar receiver
1.
[0020] The solar receiver 1 and the collector 2 are not pressurized
components,
and operate at atmospheric pressure. The collector 2 is connected at its lower
port by
gravity-feed into a standpipe 3 which in turn gravity feeds into a hot silo 4,
which serves
as a reservoir that provides thermal energy storage to facilitate operation of
the plant
after sundown. Additionally, however, the standpipe 3 provides pressurization
to the
particles at is lower end, that is, in the hot silo 4. The pressure seal
between the solar
receiver 1 and the hot solids storage (e.g. silo 4) is provided by a column of
solid
particles in the standpipe 3 The pressure seal is a function of the height of
the solid
particles column in the standpipe 3, the temperature of operation, the
material of the
particles, and the geometric properties (e.g. packing factor) of the
particles. A suitable
seal is provided by ensuring that the solid particles move down the pipe in
the packed-
bed regime, i.e. without fluidizing tl-te particles in the standpipe.
Fluidization would start
when gas pressure under the stack of solids becomes equal to the pressure from
the
weight of these solids, which is a ratio of the solids weight to the plan area
of the stack.
Therefore, the higher the desired gas (air) pressure for the turbine
operation, the higher
the stack of solids should be for providing the pressure seal.
[0021] To this end, flow of the granulated solid particles through the
power plant,
and in particular between the collector 2 and the hot silo 4, is controlled in
order to
maintain a column of solid particles in the standpipe 3 at a height
(designated herein
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without loss of generality as H) that is sufficient to provide the desired
pressure at the
bottom of the standpipe 3. Treating the granulated solid particles as a quasi-
fluid
medium (where the term "quasi-fluid" as used herein indicates the granulated
solid
particles are being treated like a fluid , for example having some pressure,
flow rate,
and so forth, for descriptive or analysis purposes, while neglecting the
discrete,
granulated nature of the particles), the requisite height to provide a given
pressure is
given by P = g fH p(h)dh where g is the gravitational acceleration (typically
9.81 m/s2)
and p(h) is the density of the solid particle quasi-fluid at elevation (i.e.
height) h along
the column. In general, p(h) could vary with elevation due to compression ¨ if
the solid
particle quasi-fluid is treated as an incompressible fluid, then pressure P =
pgH. In this
way, the reservoir of hot particles in the hot silo 4 is maintained at the
desired pressure
P, and as a consequence the hot silo 4 is suitably constructed as a pressure
vessel
designed to contain the hot particles at pressure P.
[0022] With
continuing reference to FIGURE 1, the hot particles collected and
maintained at pressure P in the hot silo 4 are transferred to a pressurized
heat
exchanger 6 also designed to operate at (or relatively near to) the pressure
P. In
general, this transfer could be accomplished using a conventional mechanical
valve
having a motor-driven or pneumatically-driven valve actuator. However, such a
valve
may potentially exhibit low reliability due to factors such as the high
temperature and
pressure of the solid particles and the granulated nature of the solid
particle quasi-fluid.
Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment the transfer of hot solid particles
from the hot
silo 4 to the pressurized heat exchanger 6 is performed using a non-mechanical
valve,
such as an illustrative L-valve 5, that has no moving parts and operates based
on
agitation of the solid particles in the valve by flow of air or other working
fluid. Instead of
the illustrative L-valve, another non-mechanical valve such as a J-valve can
also be
used. The illustrative L-valve 5 advantageously enables the flow of solid
particles
through the L-valve 5 to be regulated while simultaneously maintaining a
pressure seal
by adjusting the flow rate of aeration air to the L-valve 5. The L-valve 5
provides an
independent control of the solids flow through the fluid bed heat exchanger 6
to optimize
thermal performance of the heat exchanger 6. While the solids flow control
through the
heat exchanger is driven by the plant load demand, the solids flow through the
solar
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receiver is maintained in correspondence with the solar activity. This solids
flow is
regulated by adjusting the speed of conveyors 12, 13 that lift the solid
particles from the
discharge of a cold silo 11 to the top of the solar receiver 1.
[0023] The pressurized heat exchanger 6 extracts heat from the hot
particles to
pressurized air flowing through the heat exchanger 6. In typical fluidized
beds, heat
transfer between the solids and the heated media, such as steam, occurs across
heat
absorption surface, such as tubes. Requirements for providing enough room for
placing
adequate heating surface within the bed dictate the bed height and plan area.
By
contrast, in the illustrative pressurized heat exchanger 6 direct contact of
the air and
particles provides good heat transfer at significantly lower bed volume
requirements.
This enables a significant reduction in the required bed height, and
eliminates the need
for plan area/bed volume associated with in bed surface (where indirect heat
transfer is
applied). These modifications lead to cost savings while reducing solids
carryover.
Operating the heat exchanger 6 at an elevated pressure (that is, above
atmospheric
pressure, in some embodiments 10-20 atm, but not limited only to this range)
allows an
additional reduction in plan area and consequently a significant reduction in
cost.
[0024] By performing the heat transfer via direct contact between the air
and the
hot solid particles, the heat exchanger 6 raises the temperature of the air
(or, more
generally, some other working fluid such as gas or steam) to a desired high
temperature
(700 C or higher in some contemplated embodiments) without the need for costly
high
alloy metal in-bed surface/pressure parts.
[0025] In an illustrative embodiment, the heat exchanger 6 is a Pressurized
Fluidized Bed Heat Exchanger (PFB- HX), which comprises a pressure vessel
designed
to operate at elevated pressures in order to work with a desired Brayton
cycle. For
example the pressure of the vessel may be on the order of 10-20 atm (but not
limited
only to this range). Concomitantly the pressure P produced by the column of
solid
particles in the standpipe 3 is in the same range, e.g. at least 5 atm in some
embodiments, and in the range 10-20 atm in some embodiments, so that the
incoming
solid particles quasi-fluid is at a pressure comparable with that of the heat
exchanger 6.
This avoids the need for a lock hopper type system for introducing the solid
particles
into the chamber while maintaining a pressure seal, which would be difficult
to
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implement since the particles are at elevated temperature and preferably have
large
volumetric flow. To handle these temperatures and flow volumes, the valves of
a lock
hopper would need to handle hot solids and also would need to cycle rapidly.
In the
power plant of illustrative FIGURE 1, the use of mechanical valves (such as in
a lock
hopper type system) at the inlet of the pressurized heat exchanger 6 are
avoided.
Instead, the pressure seal is achieved by allowing the system to build the
solids level in
the standpipe 3, so as to generate the pressure P at the bottom of the
standpipe 3.
[0026] The standpipe 3 (or at least its lower end), the hot silo 4, and
the L-valve 5
are at an elevated pressure. Therefore, these components 3, 4, 5 are suitably
constructed as pressure vessels capable of handling the design pressure P. The
pressure seal achievable using the standpipe 3 is a function of the height of
the
standpipe 3, the temperature of operation and the material(s) comprising the
granulated
solid particles. The particles material(s) are selected to provide the desired
heat transfer
properties, flowability, fluidization characteristics, and stability at the
high operating
temperature of the solar receiver 1 and the heat exchanger 6. The particle
density also
affects the pressure P achieved by a column of solid particles of height H in
the
standpipe 3, since the quasi-fluid density p depends on both the density of
the solid
particles and the packing factor of the particles. (For example, if the
particles have
density pd with a packing factor PF which is less than one, for example PF =
0.74 for a
close-packed structure of spherical particles, then the density of the solid
particles
quasi-fluid is p = pd x PF). Some suitable materials for the granulated solid
particles
include, but are not limited to, sand, high silica sand, quartz, alumina,
alumino silicates,
calcined flint, clay type materials, minerals such as hematite, illemenite,
refractory-type
materials such as zirconia, titania, zirconia/titania containing particles, or
so forth, and
various mixtures thereof. As one illustrative example, Illemenite offers
advantageous
properties while also having higher particle densities than sand or high
silica sand,
yielding a higher quasi-fluid density p and consequently a shorter column
height H to
achieve a given pressure P at the bottom of the standpipe 3.
[0027] With continuing reference to FIGURE 1, heated air exiting from the
heat
exchanger 6 flows to the turbine island. Prior to entering the turbine 9,
particulates that
may still be present in the air are preferably removed at a particulate
control component
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7. Design measures can also be taken to reduce the concentration of
particulates
entrained in the air exiting the heat exchanger 6. For example, the velocity
of the air in
the heat exchanger 6 can be controlled, and/or a disengagement zone provided
above
the bed, so as to remove entrained particulates. The control of attrition and
generation
of fines is also an aspect of the design for particulate suppression, as is
the particle
material selection. The remaining particulate that is carried by the hot air
exiting the
heat exchanger 6 is preferably cleaned using the particle control component 7,
which
may for example comprise cyclones, hydrocyclones, high temperature ceramic
candle
filters, sintered metal particulate corµtrol devices, or so forth. In an
alternative approach,
particulate control equipment such as cyclones/hydrocyclones or candle filters
may be
integrally incorporated into the heat exchanger 6 to take advantage of a
common
pressure boundary (pressure vessel).
[0028] Hot
air leaving the particulate control component 7 then goes through an
optional combustor 8 which further increases the temperature of the
pressurized air by
combusting fuel F, such as natural gas prior to sending it to the turbine
block 9. In
conventional combustors, such as gas turbine combustors or natural gas
burners, the
temperature of the inlet air is relatively low which protects metal components
of the
combustor. By contrast, the optional combustor 8 receives inlet air from the
heat
exchanger 6 at an elevated temperature (about 700 C or higher in some
contemplated
embodiments). The combustor 8 may suitably comprise a catalytic type combustor
with
the catalyst mounted on a substrate suitable for high temperature operation,
such as a
refractory ceramic substrate. On the other hand, since the air is already
heated to a high
temperature before entering the combustor 8, the amount of additional heat
that needs
to be provided by the combustor 8 is reduced, and so less fuel F (e.g. natural
gas in the
illustrative example, or another combustible fuel such as liquefied petroleum
gas,
gasoline, biodiesel, or so forth) is needed to attain a desired elevated
temperature at the
output of the combustor 8. Moreover, if the temperature at the outlet of the
heat
exchanger 6 is at the desired elevated temperature, then the combustor 8 may
be
omitted entirely. While the illustrated embodiment employs a combustion
chamber 8
that is separate from the pressurized heat exchanger 6, in some alternative
embodiments it is contemplated to combust a fuel directly in the pressurized
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exchanger to attain a desired elevated temperature at the outlet of the
pressurized heat
exchanger.
[0029] Particulates that have been cooled by the incoming air in the heat
exchanger 6 are captured and removed from the bottom of the heat exchanger 6
by
hoppers, and carried into the cold silo 11 using a solids conveying system 10.
The
solids discharged from the heat exchanger 6 are further cooled, for example to
a
temperature on the order of 450 C or lower in some contemplated embodiments
which
optimizes heat recovery and allows the use of low-cost carbon steel in the
downstream
conveying components. Particles from the cold silo 11 are ready to be
delivered back to
the top of the solar receiver 1 lasing bucket elevators 12, 13 or another
solids
conveyance device. In some embodiments, prior to sending the solids back to
the solar
receiver 1 (or prior to being delivered to the cold storage silo 11), the
solids are passed
over a vibrating screen to reject any oversized material that might otherwise
plug the
narrow flow passages in the solar receiver 1.
[0030] The standpipe 3 is suitably constructed as a refractory lined pipe
(or
multiple such pipes) with a height of several hundred feet (more generally, a
height
greater than the height H of the solid particles column needed to obtain the
desired
pressure P at the bottom of the standpipe 3). The standpipe 3 optionally
contains
internal components such as valves 14, and the standpipe 3 does not
necessarily have
to have a constant cross-section over its entire height. The illustrative
internal valves 14
operate as "check" valves that prevent solids backflow in case of a
fluctuation or a pulse
in any of the equipment downstream of the standpipe 3, prevent spillage of hot
materials into the environment. The valves 14 may be placed at a suitable
elevation in
the standpipe ¨ the pressure at the valves 14 due to the column of solid
particles above
the valves decreases with increasing elevation of the placement of the valves
14. The
valves 14 can, by way of illustrative example, be iris-type ceramic valves of
a type used
in industry to restrict the flow of solids-laden gas or the flow of solids in
a moving
packed bed, as such valves can handle high temperature and are erosion
resistant. The
illustrative valves 14 are not used to regulate solids flow or provide a tight
shut-off, and
so they cannot be used in the place of the non-mechanical valve 5 for high
temperature
operation.
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[0031] The illustrative hot silo 4 includes a vent for an aeration air used
to
facilitate solids flow from the standpipe 3 into the hot silo 4. The vent can
be equipped
with a hot filter 15 to prevent release of hot solid particles to the
atmosphere, if the
aeration air is vented to the atmosphere. Alternatively, the vent can be
connected to the
top of the pressurized heat exchanger 6. In this case the aeration air will be
directed
through the heat exchanger filters, and the hot filter 15 can be omitted. The
bottom end
of the standpipe 3 is immersed in the inventory of solid particles in the hot
silo 4. If the
solids in the vicinity of the bottom of the standpipe 3 are slumped, i.e.
represent a
packed bed, no solids movement from the standpipe into the silo is possible.
To ensure
smooth particle flow from the bottom end of the standpipe 3 into the inventory
of solid
particles contained in the hot siV 4, the illustrative design includes one or
more
fluidization nozzles 17, for example fluidization ring 17 surrounding the
bottom end of
the standpipe 3. An aeration fluid injected into the fluidization ring 17
agitates the solid
particle inventory in proximity to the bottom end of the standpipe 3 to
facilitate fluidized
particle flow at this junction. More generally, the fluidization nozzle can
have a geometry
other than the ring geometry of the fluidization ring 17. The aeration fluid
is typically air.
Alternatively, the aeration fluid could be a combustible mixture of air and
gaseous fuel,
such as but not limited to natural gas, methane or propane, to further heat
the solids in
the hot silo. This alternative would be especially effective during periods of
low solar
thermal flux to the solar receiver 1..
[0032] Various components of the power plant require a supply of compressed
air
(or other working fluid at elevated pressure, such as steam). Compressed air
is input to
the heat exchanger 6, and in some preferred embodiments the thermodynamic
cycle
entails driving an air compressor 18 using the turbine (directly or via
electricity
generated by an electrical generator that is driven by the turbine) as part of
the gas
turbine power generation sub-system 9 and feeding compressed air from the air
compressor 18 into the heat exchanger 6 to complete the thermodynamic cycle.
In
some contemplated embodiments, the thermodynamic cycle is an approximation of
a
Brayton cycle, and the thermodynamic cycle of the illustrative embodiments is
referred
to herein as a Brayton cycle. The compressor 18 of the Brayton cycle also
suitably
supplies compressed air (or other working fluid at elevated pressure) for
other
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purposes, such as to provide aeration for the fluidization ring 17 in the hot
silo 4, for
operating the L-valve 5, and so forth. Similarly, power generated in the gas
turbine
power generation sub-system 9 from a working fluid at elevated pressure and
temperature, or mechanical energy obtained from the rotating shaft of the
turbine, or
electrical power obtained by an optional electrical generator (not shown)
coupled with
the turbine, or so forth is suitably used to operate the bucket elevators 12,
13 of the
solar phase of the integrated power plant.
[0033] With reference now to FIGURES 2 and 3, some illustrative variant
power
plant embodiments are described.
[0034] FIGURE 2 shows a variant configuration in which the pressurized hot
silo
4 of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 is replaced by an unpressurized hot silo 40
placed at
a high elevation (that is, above th.3 column of solid particles in the
standpipe 3 that
generates the elevated pressure P), and a smaller surge tank 41 at the bottom
of the
standpipe 3. Because the hot silo 40 is above the pressure-generating column
of solid
particles, the hot silo 40 of FIGURE 2 can be designed to operate at
atmospheric
pressure and therefore does not need to be constructed as a pressure vessel.
The
surge tank 41 is at the bottom of the standpipe 3, and therefore does need to
be
constructed as a pressure vessel capable of withstanding the pressure P
generated at
the bottom of the standpipe 3. Although not shown in FIGURE 2, the
fluidization ring 17
described with reference to FIGURE 1 may be incorporated into the surge tank
41 at the
bottom of the standpipe 3 to inject aeration to agitate the solid particle
inventory and
prevent clogging at the bottom of the standpipe 3 to enable solids movement
from the
standpipe 3 to the surge tank 41. Alternatively, the surge tank 41 may be
omitted
completely, and the bottom of the standpipe 3 may be connected directly to the
inlet of
the L-valve 5. In this embodiment, the hot silo 40 serves as the surge tank to
decouple
flow control within the solar receiver system from the flow to the heat
exchanger 6.
[0035] FIGURE 3 is an alternative embodiment of the power plant of FIGURE
2,
and includes the elevated and unpressurized hot silo 40 and the surge tank 41
of the
embodiment of FIGURE 2. The embodiment of FIGURE 3 further includes a solids
cooler 50 in which the temperatu'e of the solid particles discharged from the
heat
exchanger 6 is lowered further prior to returning to the cold silo 11. The
energy
13
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
extracted from the discharged particles by the solids cooler 50 is optionally
integrated
into the gas turbine cycle of the power plant by providing a heat exchanger in
the solids
cooler 50 that is coupled with the turbine 9. In a variant embodiment, heat
recovered by
the solids cooler may be used to drive another bottoming cycle which may be
chosen
from other potential power cycles such as another Brayton type cycle.
[0036] With reference now to FIGURES 4-7, some illustrative embodiments of
the
heat exchanger 6 are described, which are suitably employed as the heat
exchanger 6
in conjunction with any of the illustrative power plants of FIGURES 1-3.
[0037] With reference to FIGURE 4, a pressurized fluidized bed heat
exchanger 6
includes an external shell 100 having the shape of a vertically oriented
cylinder, which is
a pressure vessel defining the main pressure boundary of the heat exchanger 6.
An
internal vessel 102 is disposed inside the vessel shell 100, with an air gap
101 between
the internal vessel 102 and the veE,iel shell 100. The compressor 18 from the
Brayton
cycle supplies the air that contacts the hot solids in order to transfer heat
to the air. This
air is supplied from compressor 18 into nozzles 104 via vessel penetrations
passing
through the pressurized vessel 100. In the embodiment of FIGURE 4, the nozzles
104
are in the form of coaxial pipes: cool air is input by flowing through the
outside annulus
of the coaxial pipe nozzle 104 into the pressure vessel 100, and heated air is
discharged from the pressure vessel 100 via the inner pipe of the coaxial pipe
nozzle
104. Arranging the cooler air in the outside annulus of the coaxial pipe
nozzle 104 helps
to keep the walls of the pressure vessel 100 cool (below 400 C in some
embodiments).
While only two coaxial pipe nozzles 104 are depicted in FIGURE 4, there may be
a
larger number of nozzles to provide uniform air flow. The cool air input from
the
compressor 18 via the outer annulus of the nozzle 104 enters the gap 101
between the
pressure vessel 100 and internal vessel 102, and passes through passages or
supply
lines 110 in the internal vessel 102 that connect with distribution grid
bubble caps 112 of
a fluidized bed 114. The supply lines 110 penetrate the inner metal casing of
the
internal vessel 102 which separates the fluidized bed area from the pressure
vessel
100. The air then penetrates through the bed 114 of particles and flows
upward. At the
same time, hot solid particles from the solar receiver 1 received via the hot
silo 4 and
L-valve 5 enter into the heat e -hanger via solids supply nozzles 120 and flow
14
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
downward. Heat transfers from the downward flowing solid particles to the
upward
flowing air so that the air is heated as it flows upward. At or near the top
of the internal
vessel 102, the hot air is collected from the inner pipes off the nozzles 104,
which
penetrate the top of the internal vessel 102. The collected hot air is sent to
the
particulate control device 7 and subsequently to the Brayton turbine 9
(optionally after
going through the combustor 8) as already described with reference to FIGURE
1.
[0038] The hot solids are delivered to the bed 114 by the solids supply
nozzles
120 distributed across the bed plan area. An open-bottom fluidized bed
arrangement
allows the solid particles to flow down through the entire bed 114 to be
collected in
hoppers 122 and exit the pressurized vessel 100, for example using a lock-
hopper type
system 124. As previously described, the pressure seal at the top of the heat
exchanger
6 is accomplished using the standpipe 3. For the solids exiting the bed via
the hoppers
122, the temperature is substantially lower (due to heat transfer to the
upward flowing
air in the heat exchanger 6), and so a seal based on mechanical valves, such
as the
illustrative lock-hopper system 124, is suitable. Whereas each illustrative
hopper 122 is
depicted as having a downspout which penetrates through the bottom of the
pressure
vessel 100, an alternative design could combine the flow from multiple hoppers
and exit
the vessel using a common spout in order to minimize the penetrations through
the
pressure vessel. To obtain this arrangement, multiple spouts can be physically
connected to each other, or individual L-valves could be used to combine the
particles
from multiple individual hoppers into common spouts.
[0039] A bed height 130 and a disengagement zone 132 are indicated in
FIGURE
4. The bed height 130 is maintained to allow good contact between the upward
flowing
air and the downward flowing solids, and to allow adequate residence time for
solids to
achieve the desired heat exchange to the air. The disengagement zone 132
provides a
low velocity zone for the solid particles to separate from the air, which
reduces the solid
particle concentration in the air exiting the heat exchanger 6; and therefore,
the amount
of solid particles that must be removed in the particulate control device
7.The inner
casing 102 is suitably lined with an erosion-resistant refractory material to
protect the
casing 102 from erosion as well as to provide thermal insulation. The inner
casing 102
does not act as a pressure boundary, and accordingly can be manufactured with
a
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
relatively thin casing. The illustrative internal vessel 102 includes an outer
metal casing
140, a middle insulating refractory layer 142, and an inner erosion-resistant
refractory
layer 144, but other casing configurations are contemplated. Alternatively,
the side walls
of the inner casing 102 can be lined with the erosion-resistant refractory
scheme
described above and the roof of the inner casing 102 can be lined with a light
weight
insulating refractory since the roof is not exposed to the abrasive solids
mixing in the
bed zone 130. This will reduce the weight and cost of the inner casing 102.
[0040] The
illustrative air supply and exit lines are configured as coaxial pipe
nozzles 104. This design allows the inlet air which is at a lower temperature
to be on the
outside providing a better match to the temperature of the wall of the
pressure vessel
100 thereby reducing differential thermal expansion between the inlet pipe and
vessel
wall, and simplifying the materials selection and the weldments between the
external
pipe and vessel wall. This is also advantageous as it allows the penetration
into the
pressure vessel 100 to be at the same temperature as the vessel.
[0041]
FIGURE 5 depicts a pressurized heat exchanger in which the vertically
oriented cylindrical pressure vessel 100 of the embodiment of FIGURE 4 is
replaced by
a horizontally oriented cylindrical pressure vessel 200. This enables fitting
a larger bed
area into the pressure vessel 100 or, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, enables
inserting two
(or more) interior vessels 102 arranged along the cylinder axis, each having
its own
fluidizing bed 114. The horizontal configuration also enables reduction in the
diameter of
the vessel 200 thereby reducing the thickness of the vessel. FIGURE 5 also
illustrates
an alternative air-coupling embodiment, in which the coaxial pipe nozzles 104
of
FIGURE 4 are replaced by separate inlet nozzles 204 and discharge nozzles 205.
[0042]
FIGURE 6 shows a front view of a heat exchanger employing the
horizontally oriented cylindrical pressure vessel 200 (that is, a view looking
along the
cylinder axis) in combination with the combined coaxial air inlet/discharge
nozzles 104.
As seen in FIGURE 6, the horizontal cylindrical pressure vessel 200 naturally
forms a
(cylindrical) dome over the top of the interior vessel 102, which may be used
to
accommodate ancillary components such as a particulate separator (for example,
a
cyclonic particulate separator) to provide some or all particle removal
additional to or in
place of the separate particle control element 7 shown in FIGURE 1.
16
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
[0043]
FIGURE 7 shows a heat exchanger embodiment that again employs the
the horizontally oriented cylindrical pressure vessel 200 (viewed in FIGURE 7
along the
cylinder axis as in FIGURE 6), but with an alternative interior vessel 302
containing a
plurality of bed layers 314, 315, 316 connected by downcomers 318. This design
incorporates multiple layers 314, 315, 316 of beds which allow the heat
exchanger to
establish a countercurrent flow pattern between the solids and the gas (air or
other
working fluid at elevated pressure). The physical separation of beds 314, 315,
316
along the vertical direction is achieved using trays 317, perforated plates or
stages or
the like, and provides enhanced countercurrent flow and improved heat transfer
between particles and gas. With a single bed layer (such as in the embodiments
of
FIGURES 4-6), the heat exchanger may be prone to experience significant
vertical
mixing leading to the air and solids reaching a common, lower mix temperature
than
that achievable with a multiple-bed design such as that shown in FIGURE 7. A
multiple-
bed design suppresses vertical mixing by introducing multiple stages of
contact within
the interior vessel 302. As shown in FIGURE 7, the cross-sectional area of the
lower
bed levels can be reduced (that is the area of uppermost bed 316 is larger
than the
area of the middle bed 315 which is larger than the lowermost bed 314; this
geometry is
accommodated by illustrated inclined sidewalls of the interior vessel 302. The
lower
temperatures of the air at the lower bed levels means the velocities are lower
for a given
cross sectional area. The design criteria suitably uses velocities as a design
measure,
and thus lower temperatures of the lower beds allows for a reduction in area
for a given
design velocity. This design also assumes uniform solids mixing and therefore
alleviates
constraints on the gas velocities. Raising the gas velocities could allow for
further
reduction in the bed area across all stages so long as the solids carryover
constraint is
satisfied. The vertically stacked beds 314, 315, 316 and the reduction of bed
area for
lower beds allows the heat exchanger of FIGURE 7 to be smaller/more compact as
compared with the heat exchangers of FIGURES 4, 5, and 6, which provides
benefits
such as lower manufacturing cost, reduced weight and reduced component wall
thicknesses, and may also enable using fewer hoppers 122 and fewer
corresponding
lock hopper systems, which also reduces the number of mechanical valves used
in the
cold solid particle removal system.
17
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
[0044] Further reduction in vessel size can be accomplished by separating
the
pressure vessel into multiple vessels each with its own interior vessel. The
multiple
vessels can be designed smaller to handle lower quantities of solids and gas,
or the
heat exchanger can be broken down such that each vessel may contain different
parts
of the exchanger (e.g. different heat transfer stages etc.). FIGURE 5 shows
the interior
vessels 102 in a parallel flow arrangement. Alternatively, the interior
vessels 102 could
be connected in series i.e. where the hot air exiting a first interior vessel
through pipe
205 is routed directly to the inlet 110 of a second interior vessel without
exiting the
pressure vessel 100.
[0045] With returning reference to FIGURE 1 (or FIGURE 2 or FIGURE 3),
there
are certain constraints on the control of the power plant. To maintain the
pressure P at
the bottom of the standpipe 3, the column of solid particles in the standpipe
3 must be
maintained at the height H providing that pressure P. At the same time, a
sufficient flow
rate of hot solid particles must flow into the heat exchanger 6 in order to
maintain the
Brayton (or other thermodynamic) cycle operating at a desired energy output.
[0046] In one illustrative control approach operating in conjunction with
the
illustrative power plant of FIGURE 1, the following control parameters
(inputs) are
monitored, and control points maintained. The outlet temperature of solids
from the
solar receiver 1 is monitored with thermocouples. A set point for the solids
temperature
exiting the solar receiver 1 is established. The flow rate of solids through
the solar
receiver 1 is regulated by the speed of the first stage of bucket elevators 12
that lift the
solids from the cold silo 11 to the solar receiver 1. The second stage of
bucket elevators
13 operates at a sufficiently high speed to transfer all the solids from the
first bucket
elevator 12 when operated at the maximum solids flow rate. Solids discharged
from the
solar receiver 1 are transferred to the collector 2 (or series of collectors)
which
discharge solids to the standpipe 3, which transfers the hot solids to the hot
silo 4. The
hot silo 4 is equipped with an internal dipleg surrounded by a coaxial pipe
with the
fluidizing ring 17 at the base, and aeration air is provided to the fluidizing
ring 17 so that
all solids captured by the collector 2 can be stored in the hot silo 4. The
flow rate of
aeration air into the fluidizing ring 17 is adjusted to transfer the excess
solids captured
by the collector 2 to the annular volume of the hot silo 4 while maintaining
the target
18
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
level (or height H) of solids in the standpipe 3 to maintain the desired
pressure seal.
These control operations regulate operation of the solar receiver 1.
[0047] In one illustrative contemplated control approach, the control is
configured
as five primary control loops or points. Various components in the system are
designed
so as not to be limiting in the transfer of solids from one subsystem or
component to the
next. At a first control point, the particle level in the distribution hopper
at the top of the
solar receiver 1 (detail not shown in FIGURE 1) is regulated by the speed of
the first
stage of bucket elevators 12 that lift the solids from the cold silo 11 to the
solar receiver
1. The speed of the bucket elevators 12 is adjusted to maintain a target
particle level in
the distribution hopper at the top of the solar receiver 1 as measured by a
series of level
detectors around the circumference of the hopper.
[0048] At a second control point, the flow rate of solids through the
solar receiver
1 is regulated by a series of hopper valves on the bottom of the distribution
hopper
located around the circumference of the solar receiver 1. The operation of the
hopper
valves is adjusted to maintain a target particle temperature at the discharge
of the solar
receiver 1 as measured by a series of thermocouples (or other temperature
sensors)
located around the circumference of the solar receiver 1. The operation of
individual
hopper valves can be adjusted to regulate the discharge temperature of the
particles in
the vertical section of the receiver serviced by the specific hopper valve.
[0049] At a third control point, the hot silo 4 is equipped with an
internal dipleg
surrounded by a coaxial pipe with the fluidizing ring 17. Aeration air is
provided to the
fluidizing ring 17 so that all solids captured by the collector 2 can be
stored in the hot
silo 4. The flow rate of aeration air is adjusted to transfer the excess
solids captured by
the collector 2 to the annular volume of the hot silo 4 while maintaining a
target level of
particles in the standpipe 3 to maintain the pressure seal.
[0050] At a fourth control point, the flow rate of hot particles through
the heat
exchanger 6 is increased or decreased by adjusting the aeration air flow to
the L-valve 5
to maintain the target outlet temperature and flow rate of air in response to
a demand
signal for electrical power from the gas turbine power generation system 9.
[0051] At a fifth control point, the bed drain valves of the heat
exchanger 6 are
cycled to maintain the target bed level in the heat exchanger 6 as the
particle flow
19
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
through the heat exchanger 6 increases or decreases as a function of the
demand
signal for electrical power.
[0052] At a sixth control point, a combustible mixture of air and natural
gas (or
other gaseous fuel) is fed through the hot silo aeration ring 17 to provide
additional
solids heating to attain the desired target temperature for the pressurized
heat
exchanger 6. Since the solid particles are above the auto-ignition temperature
of a
combustible mixture of air and natural gas, the natural gas will ignite and
provide
additional heat to the solid particles.
[0053] More particularly, control related to the Brayton cycle involving
the heat
exchanger 6 and gas turbine power generation sub-system 9 is suitably
performed as
follows. A load demand from the process is established. A target outlet
temperature and
flow rate of air from the heat exchanger 6 is established consistent with the
load
demand. The air flow through the heat exchanger 6 is increased in response to
the air
flow demand set point. The solids flow through the heat exchanger 6 is
increased by
increasing the aeration air flow to the L-valve 5 to maintain the target air
outlet
temperature. The heat exchanger 6 bed drain valves are cycled to maintain the
design
bed level in the heat exchanger 6. The solids transfer system is operated at a
single
speed to accommodate the maximum flow rate required to transfer all solids
from the
bottom of the heat exchanger 6 bed drain system to the cold silo 11.
[0054] The disclosed power plants integrating concentrated solar power
(CSP)
with a pressurized heat exchanger provide high thermal-to-electric conversion
efficiencies which can be leveraged to reduce the footprint of the mirror
field (heliostat
field), and has numerous other advantages. Where natural gas combustion is
performed
by the combustor 8, the air heated by both the heat exchanger 6 and the
combustor 8
enables achieving higher gas turbine inlet temperatures and consequently
higher
efficiencies than a typical CSP plant operating with steam and or molten salt
as the heat
transfer fluid. The disclosed integrated system also provides the ability to
store energy
in the form of thermal energy stored in the hot solid particles in the hot
silo 4, which can
later be used to produce power after sundown or at other times when solar
energy
availability is curtailed. The disclosed integrated power plant advantageously
integrates
the solar receiver 1 with the turbine block 9 which is similar to a natural
gas-combined
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
cycle turbine block comprising of Brayton turbine (cycle) and a steam turbine
cycle.
While the ideal system would incorporate a steam turbine island in addition to
the
Brayton turbine, the system offers the ability to generate power solely on the
Brayton
turbine if the plant cannot support a steam:-based system.
[0055] The heat exchanger 6 used to extract heat from the hot particles is
suitably a pressurized direct contact heat exchanger, which provides further
advantages. The heat exchanger 6 is a mildly fluidized bed that allows the
system to
achieve an overall countercurrent flow of air and particles to maximize energy
extraction
from the particle into the air. In order to maintain the pressure in the heat
exchanger 6,
in the embodiment of FIGURE 1 the hot silo 4 and the standpipe 3 are under
pressure
as well. A column of solid particles of designed height H is maintained in the
standpipe
3 to provide the sealing pressure P at the bottom of the standpipe 3. The
height H of
solids in the standpipe 3 is the main mechanism of sealing against the
pressure in the
pressurized heat exchanger 6 and the pressure in the hot silo 4. The height of
the
standpipe 3 (which places a maximum constraint on the column height H), the
operating
temperature and selection of particles are factored into determining the
design height H
of the solids level that is maintained to allow operation of the heat
exchanger 6 at a
given pressure. Therefore the system offers the means to achieve the desired
pressures in the fluidized bed heat exchanger 6 without requiring a lock
hopper design
operating on the hot solid particles output by the solar receiver 1.
[0056] In the illustrative embodiment, the L-valve 5 (or another non-
mechanical,
aeration-operated valve) is used to control feed of the hot particles into the
heat
exchanger 6. In an alternative embodiment, a lock-hopper type of system can be
used
to feed in solid particles and take out particles while allowing the heat
exchanger 6 to
operate at the desired pressure. The hot silo 4 is designed (in the embodiment
of
FIGURE 1) to maintain the pressure, create a seal around the standpipe 3 and
allow
particles to flow down the standpipe 3 and fill up the hot silo 4. The silo
optionally
includes one or more fluidization nozzles 17 around the bottom of the
standpipe 3 in
order to allow the particle to flow downwards from the standpipe 3 and flow
upwards
around the periphery or adjacent to the bottom of the standpipe 3 to fill up
the
pressurized hot silo 4. In alternative embodiments of FIGURES 2 and 3, the hot
silo 40
21
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
is not pressurized and is located at higher elevation, which eliminates the
need for the
high-volume capacity pressure veL,sel defining the hot silo 4 of the
embodiment of
FIGURE 1. In these alternative designs, a smaller surge vessel 41 provides
buffering of
the solid particle flow between the solar receiver 1 and the heat exchanger 6,
or
alternatively the hot silo 40 can serve as the surge vessel.
[0057] The pressure in the hot silo 4 or surge vessel 41 is optionally
further
maintained by a pressure regulating control valve (such as a pressure
regulating valve
or regulated vent valve, with illustrative hot filter 15) of the hot particle
silo 4 or surge
vessel 41. This allows the system to vent out the excess air buildup from the
fluidization
air or from air that comes into the silo or surge vessel from the L-valve 5
(or loop seal or
J-valve). If excess air is not properly purged from the hot silo, the pressure
in the hot
silo will increase, thereby inhibiting the flow of solids down the standpipe
or through the
annulus zone within the hot silo by exerting a back pressure on the solids in
these
zones. The proper control of the pressure within the hot silo is facilitates
maintaining an
overall system pressure balance to promote smooth flow of particles around the
system.
The pressure control valve may be placed preferentially after a hot particle
filter 15 (or
other particulate control device) in order to operate in a particle free (low
particulate)
environment and potentially at lower temperature. Alternatively these valves
may be
placed ahead of the particulate control device.
[0058] Some further embodiments are presented in the following as further
examples.
[0059] In one embodiment, a concentrated solar power solids-based system
may
be provided, comprising: a solar receiver, a heated solids storage, a
pressurized heat
exchanger, a valve arranged to feed heated solids to the pressurized heat
exchanger. A
gaseous medium is supplied to the pressurized heat exchanger, and cooled
solids from
the pressurized heat exchanger are transported to the solar receiver. A gas
turbine is
driven by the gaseous medium heated in the pressurized heat exchanger. Fine
solids
from the gaseous medium are collected leaving the pressurized heat exchanger
using
suitable particulate control component(s). The solids storage is pressurized
(for
example, configured as pressurized hot silo). A standpipe is located in the
path of the
heated solids from the solar receiver to the pressurized heated solids
storage. The
22
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
height of the standpipe is sufficient to allow maintaining a column of solid
particles of
height H sufficient to provide a seal against the pressure in the heated
solids storage. In
such a system, the standpipe may be at least partially surrounded by the
pressurized
heated solids storage, and the solids in the proximity of the bottom of the
standpipe may
be fluidized. A conduit may be provided to connect the fluidizing ring or
other fluidizing
element with a higher elevation within the pressurized heated solids storage.
The
pressurized heated solids storage may be equipped with a vent for the
fluidizing
medium (e.g. air) used in fluidizing in the vicinity of the bottom of the
standpipe. The
vent may comprise a filter or other particulate control device for collecting
fine solids
from the fluidizing medium leaving the pressurized heated solids storage. The
vent may
be connected to the upper part of the pressurized heat exchanger. The
pressurized heat
exchanger may comprise a single bed, or may comprise a stack of beds on trays
or the
like, each tray supporting a bed of solids and providing a uniform
distribution of the
gaseous medium through the bed. The trays are suitably connected by downcomer
tubes or the like to allow the solids to flow downward through the stack of
trays and to
allow air or other working gas at elevated pressure to flow upward
consecutively
through the trays resulting in the solids-to-gas counterflow. The solids are
fluidized on at
least one of the trays. The solids are suitably fed from the pressurized
heated solids
storage onto the top of the bed on the uppermost tray. The solids may be fed
through at
least two feed points uniformly distributed across the plan area of the
uppermost bed.
The solids are removed from the pressurized heat exchanger through at least
one
discharge port located below the lowermost tray. The at least one discharge
port may
comprise a seal against the pressure in the pressurized heat exchanger. The
particulate
control device for collecting fine solids from the gaseous medium may include
a filter
comprising high temperature resistant material with fine pores. The respective
elevations of the components of the system are configured to enable solids to
move
from the solar receiver through the pressurized heat exchanger by gravity.
Metering of
solids from the heated solids storage to the heat exchanger is suitably
accomplished by
a non-mechanical valve, such as an L-valve. The feeding of heated solids to
the heat
exchanger may include a safety section preventing solids throughput unless the
solids
in the section are fluidized. The concentrated solar power solids-based system
may
23
CA 02897433 2015-07-16
further include a combustor, e.g. a burner, to further heat up the air or
other gaseous
medium in a conduit between the pressurized heat exchanger and the gas
turbine.
[0060] In another embodiment, a concentrated solar power solids-based
system
may be provided, comprising a solar receiver, a heated solids storage, a
pressurized
heat exchanger, a means for feeding heated solids to the pressurized heat
exchanger, a
means for supplying a gaseous medium to the pressurized heat exchanger, a
means for
transporting cooled solids from the pressurized heat exchanger to the solar
receiver, a
gas turbine driven by the gaseous medium heated in the pressurized heat
exchanger, a
means for collecting fine solids from the gaseous medium leaving the
pressurized heat
exchanger, and a means for providing a seal between the heated solids storage
and the
pressurized heat exchanger. The means for providing a seal may comprise
mechanical
valves, such as lock-hoppers, rotary valves, or double flapper valves. The
solid particles
may in some embodiments comprise at least one of: sand, high silica sand,
quartz,
alumina, alumino-silicates, calcined flint, iron titanate, bauxite, clays,
hematite, and
ilmenite.
[0061] Illustrative embodiments including the preferred embodiments have
been
described. While specific embodiments have been shown and described in detail
to
illustrate the application and principles of the invention and methods, it
will be
understood that it is not intended that the present invention be limited
thereto and that
the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such
principles. In
some embodiments of the invention, certain features of the invention may
sometimes be
used to advantage without a correc:ponding use of the other features.
Accordingly, all
such changes and embodiments properly fall within the scope of the following
claims.
Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and
understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the
present
disclosure be construed as including all such modifications and alterations
insofar as
they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
24
